Gold does not react with minerals found in the soil, therefore when you find them they should be in pretty much the same condition as the day they were lost. Apart from a soil build up, the coins do will not have corroded or oxidised. So cleaning should only occur to remove the dirt. A very cautious approach should be taken, and no chemicals will be needed. Public Woodland areas, again are not public areas giving you any rights other than to walk through them, you should seek the permission of the owners.

Ask your friends and family to help you, It’s always a head start if you have someone vouching for you and a connection.

I have included these as it is possible to get permission however some local authorities will not permit you to metal detect. Under the English Laws, landowners have the sole title and ownership to any archaeological artifacts found on their land or property. It is good practice to make an agreement, preferably a written contract with the landowners or tenants before you metal detect on their land. This agrees that you will share any monetary proceeds from sales of the treasure. You never know either you could discover the next hoard of coins and become extremely rich, we can dream at least! It’s not something you should consider as a replacement for a job unless you can afford to support yourself financially. While out with your metal detector you are learning, learning about the history of our ancestors and their cultures. You will gain knowledge on coinage, tools, jewellery and other items people used years ago. It’s just part of the hobby taking home all of your finds, cleaning your finds and then researching them.

OK you got the above! Still interested? You are now going to need somewhere to go with your metal detector the next section in the beginners series is named Where can I go with my metal detector? HANDLING AND CARE: We strongly recommend that you learn about the handling, care and storage of any historical or archaeological finds while you are out metal detecting. You can learn more at http://finds.org.uk/ Ploughed fields are usually very easy to dig because the ground is already broken. The hardest part of a Farmers field is getting the initial permission, with so many night hawkers these days giving the detectorists a bad name sometimes the farmer can be quite hostile towards the hobby. If the item is prehistoric it will be then classed as treasure if any part of it is gold or silver. Purse spills, and smaller groups of coins that may have been lost, misplaced or dropped. Ritual or votive deposits.

Finds Liaison Officers maintain a good relationship with local metal detecting societies and have contributed to building relationships and bonds between metal detecting enthusiasts and archaeologists who usually don’t see eye to eye. Before you go out and metal detect it is a good idea to follow on through our beginners series, the next part covers the Metal Detecting Code of Conduct.